Roses
by redheadclover
Summary: From the moment Harry Welsh met Catherine "Kitty" Grogan on the 4th of July, he knew he was destined to marry her. A small story on their frist meeting, Harry leaving for the army and all that happened in-between. Harry X Kitty


**Author's Note: This is a snippet for the couple we wished we saw on the show. I don't think this is how they met, but I kind of wish this version was how it went, at least for me :)**

It was quiet that night in those rolling green hills, another soundless night, but another night of insomnia for the officer Harry Welsch. But it wasn't the insomnia of a battle happening a bit away from the group of men, it was the insomnia of the infamous question of what will happen when he gets home. What will it look like for him since it wasn't so easy for him compared to the other boys? He just heard of Winters going to Japan to help that part of the world for the war, and the rest of the men in Easy might be hauled over to the Pacific.

Harry's future was blurry for all but one thing, one sure thing that seemed crystal clear that it was making him smile, even in that German bed he was sleeping in of that German town. It wasn't mostly a thing or a place, but it was a person. The one woman who loved him with every fiber of her being and he loved her back.

Kitty Grogan.

Seeing her face in his head already was both heart warming and heart breaking at the same. Heartwarming, because he knew he was very close to seeing her again, but heartbreaking because he wasn't with her yet. He had to be honest with himself, no one has ever captured him the way Kitty has before, not one person. Everything about her captivated Harry, the way she walked, the way she could crinkle her nose when she laughed or snorted from a joke he would tell her.

Harry shoved the sheets off of him and got up from the bed, walking over to the double doors that lead out to the balcony. Opening the doors there, he embraced the cool night breeze and the moon high up in the sky, plenty of stars scattered through the night and almost giving the mountains town a small glow of blue and black. He never thought he would have another night of peace like he did that night, no more war to worry about, no more gunshots heard or grenades ringing in the air.

He didn't like the quiet, not really.

Going back home, back to Pennsylvania where he would have to find another job and get back to a normal like. At least it wasn't going to be too and, hell, he was excited to go back. He had the points, so why wouldn't he take the opportunity to get him to his fiance?

To his beloved Kitty.

* * *

 **Luzerne County, Pennsylvania**

 **July 4th, 1938**

"Come on, Harry! We're gonna leave to head over to the park and meet the girls!" Harry looked away from the couple across the street, kissing each other into oblivion and how he could hear wolf whistles coming from the passerby's in the car. He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck and looking over to his friend, Jason Dwarsky who was just as reckless and optimistic as Harry was with a wild heart. Jason was hopping into his car and getting the car going as Harry walked over from the sidewalk, outside one of their favorite hangouts in the small mining town and then hopped in the back. It was tradition, since they were in grade school, for Harry and Jason to go and see the fireworks show that was about to go on in the park outside of town where it was big enough to have the gathering. The town would go to it, and other counties as well since there was nowhere bigger to hold plenty of people.

Harry enjoyed it himself really, hopping in the car and Jason started to pull out from the parking spot and onto the road in his beat-up car he got on loan from his father.

"What do you know about these girls?" Harry asked in curiosity as they were ripping down the road with ease and the dust was picking up in the back of them along the dirt road that was leading them away from he town and into the forest.

"Eartha said they're friends from school, some of them are from out of town and visiting her and her family. One of them goes by Catherine," Jason explained, "Her father know's Eartha's dad through work or something like that. Catherine's supposed to be this kind of angel."

"Really?" It was far too amusing for Harry to hear something like that from his friend, whom nodded from his question and grinned.

"Trust me, I'm just as surprised as you are. But hey, Eartha says everyone adores her and thinks she's an angel on earth." Harry grinned now from Jason's explanation and looked back out the window again, resting his arm on the open window since it was rolled down, his chin on his arm and he was looking at the rolling trees passing him by. He thought of the couple again back in the town, and how deep within himself he has someone like that to hold close, to breathe in and to kiss into the heavens.

A small voice in his head asked if it was going to happen to him?

* * *

"There they are! Heya girls!" Harry followed Jason like an obedient puppy though the crowd of people on the large grass field that was out in the country, the crisp summer night was coming though and the sun was slowly descending but still light enough for people to see and meet up with one another. He could smell the sweet scents of the apples being eaten by the people there, along with the hotdogs that were brought from home and seeing children running around with sparklers in their hands. He was trying to keep up with Jason, whom already saw Eartha and her lovely figure there amongst a couple of others in her company.

"Jason! You made it doll!" Earth said to him as she wrapped her arms around him and kissed him sweetly. Some of her friends swooned, Harry looking to see who was in her company now as they pulled away from each other and Eartha swatted him in the arm.

"Jason! Don't be rude! Did you bring Harry like I asked?" Eartha asked him, then looking past Jason at me and grinning from ear to ear. She was always nice to Harry, after his first meeting with her at the local soda shop when they are in high school and Jason was smitten with her. Harry liked her, she was alright in his book. Harry smiled and walked over to Eartha as she hugged him tightly as a friend would.

"I'm glad you came! I have someone I want you to meet," She said to Harry, grabbing him by the hand and guiding him to her group of friends. It was within that moment, Harry walking with Eartha and she pointing to the young girl in front of him that he thought the world stopped spinning. He literally didn't feel or see anything else around him.

Only her.

"This is Catherine Grogan, a family friend of mine and one of my closest friends! Kitty, this is Harry Welsh, Jason's good friend from school," Harry could hear Eartha, but his he was looking at the most beautiful girl in the whole world looking right at him with a smile that could make him melt to the floor. She was a literal angel: caramel hair that was curled just right along her shoulders and framing her heart shaped face, skin so smooth and almost like porcelain with a hint of freckles along the slightly tanned skin, her eyes that were so bright that they could even make the fireworks go dull and gray.

Everything about her made Harry think of those Greek Gods that he read about it school or tried to read about when he wasn't bored. She was perfection from the moment he looked at her and he found his voice again to say hello to her. Thankfully she said hello to him first, reaching out her hand for him to hold and shake.

"Pleasure to meet you, Harry," She said to him, her own voice sounded like chimes and bells that were too heavenly.

"Same to you, Catherine Grogan," He said her full name like it was some kind of ending to a prayer. She giggled, Harry thinking he could die then and there a happy man when the first firework went off. Everyone looked, including Catherine when she moved her hand away from him and she smiled from seeing the first bursts of sparks in the sky. The fireworks were beautiful, everyone was enraptured with them and gasped out with every new color in the sky.

All but Harry. He watched Catherine the whole time and he knew he was in love with her.

* * *

Two days later, Harry sees Catherine out and about with Eartha downtown, Harry being in the general store to get some things for the house with his mother when he saw her on the other side of the street. He thought it was a trick of the mind, meaning since the fireworks on the 4th of July, he's been thinking of her non-stop and how he thought he was never going to see her again. But there she was, in his town and chatting away with Eartha with laughter on her lips.

"Here ya go, Welsh." The manager gave him his back, Harry throwing the coins on the tabletop and running out of the store with the paper bag in hands and bolting across the street in worry that he was going to lose her. He almost got hit by a car, the screeching of the car got most of the people's attention, including Eartha's and Catherine's too as he stopped din front of them, red in the face and out of breath.

"Jesus, Harry, you ran like a bat out of hell," Eartha commented to him as Harry placed the bag on the ground near his feet. He looked right at Catherine again in her dark blue dress and her hair neat in pins.

"Hello Catherine Grogan," he said to her in a huff and Catherine giggled.

"Hello, Harry Welsh. Fancy meeting you here," She said politely, Harry grinning from ear to ear from just her voice.

"I was in the neighborhood really," he said in a nonchalant type of way,"I was wondering if you were willing to…maybe if you wanted….grab a cup of coffee with me down the street?"

"Oh, Harry, we just—" Eartha was about to say something that could break his heart when Catherine ripped up, her eyes fixed on Harry and she grinned.

"I can go for another cup, actually."

They sat in the coffee shop down the street, out in the corner near the window with two coffees between them and the awkward chitchat to come for certain. Harry didn't know what to say to her, or how to say anything to her as she sat across from him and she folded her hands on the table.

"I have to ask," She said out loud to him, her voice ringing softly in the small coffee shop that had some other occupying the space, "Why is it that you use my full name?"

Harry was never really bold with girls, even with the help of both Eartha and Jason who were a bit bold enough to carry their own in conversations. Harry had to admit, he was a bit on the shy side of things when it came to the opposite sex, and he knew he was not the best looking in the bunch of his pals at school. It was already enough for this angel to know his name and not for her to want to have coffee with him was insanity. So how was he going to talk to her now with a regular conversation? He had to either be bold enough to have her stay around, or fail and never see her again.

"Because, in my opinion, it's the most beautiful name I haver ever heard," He said it, out in the open and was waiting to be slapped or something in that nature. She didn't move, but just stared at him and Harry could have sworn seeing blush coming onto her cheeks and her smile being so genuine then. He honestly thought she was going to yell at him, let alone slap him across the cheek and walk out of the door. But she was still there at the table, and Harry was thinking that was too good to be true.

"I don't think anyone has ever said that to me before," She said to him in a sincere manner now and Harry grinned from ear to ear.

It was the start of something beyond good for Harry.

* * *

 **January 7th, 1939**

"Are you almost ready, Kitty?" Harry asked her gently as he was waiting in the hallway at his room. Catherine, or Kitty since that her loving nickname that Harry adored was over at his house and was getting ready to go to a get together at Eartha's house that night with some of their mutual friends. The were going to go as a couple, not that they hereunto; done that before and were bursting with happens with one another, but it felt different with Harry. For one, Kitty's parents were going to be there since they were family friend's of Eartha's family, and because of that, Harry was beyond nervous. Kitty tried to calm his nerves as best as she could, and it worked mostly.

After their first coffee date that day in July, they've been going on more outings together to get to know each other. By the end of July, when it was time for Kitty to go back to her own hometown, they both grew as friends and wrote to each other throughout August and September before she came for a visit. Those letters were more of Harry telling her how beautiful she was, and she in return wrote about his own kinds and joy that he gave her.

It was clearly meant for them to be together.

"I'm coming out, Harry," She replied in the room, Harry grinning and already feeling like he struck gold with her and there was no one better than her. The door opened, Harry looked over to see how his girlfriend looked. Of course, she had to be radiant in a lovely red dress that showed her curves just so and the soft application of makeup to her already stunning face.

"You look beautiful," Harry said it within seconds to her, seeing her giggle back at him and walk over to adjust the collar he was wearing with her delicate fingers.

"And you're quite handsome if I say so myself," Kitty said to him, sneaking a kiss on his cheek before pulling away to look at him directly in the eye, "You don't have to be onerous, you know?"

"What makes you think I'm nervous?" Harry asked her, cocking an eye at her and see her eye him back with her smirk there. She knew far too well at this point, and he knew her as well since their constant talks and get-togethers.

"You're looking nervous with your eyes, trust me I can tell," Kitty explained to him and she then slipped their hands together between them and tilted her head at him, "I'll be right there when you talk to them,"

"I'll already like them, Kitty," Harry reassured her after he kissed the side of her head since he already knew she was concerned about the talk too and the first meeting, "It's going to be fine. Trust me."

"Must you be so confident about everything?" Kitty joked with him, Harry had to chuckle from it, since she was always amazed at how confident he was and how bold he would be in any of their talks and conversations.

"I can only be confident with you with me," He replied back to her, Kitty giggling and they kiss there in the hallway.

* * *

Harry walked out through the double doors and sighed in both relief and frustration as the cold night embraced him and his tie feeling way too tighter now around his throat. God, he thought he was going to be okay in there.

But it was not very much okay.

AS soon as they walked in the door, he knew he was in deep trouble. Kitty's parents, as pleasant as they looked there in the grass front room, were already giving him the look of confusions to why their precious daughter was with someone like him. Harry felt it, in their handshake he gave to her father and the small talk he tried to give them in hopes that they would like them. It was like going high on a tightrope and they were shaking it in order for him to fall down.

This night was terrible.

He grabbed the cigarette pack that was in his jacket pocket, that he brought just in case things really did go south and he needed a break, and he grabbed the one stick that was sticking out for him to use. He honestly thought he was going to smoke when he was done for the night and went home from the dinner, but now it seemed like a better time to light up and breathe out the anger that was boiling up inside of him.

"Harry?" Harry looked behind him now, surprised to see Kitty coming out of the house and closing the door behind him. She was still in her lovely dress, and since it was pretty cold outside and almost freezing to the winter weather, Harry immediately shrugged off his jacket and walked over to place it over her shoulders.

"What are you doing out here? It's freezing, Kitty," Harry said to her as she snuggled into his jacket but kept her eyes on him the whole time and she looked a bit concerned on her side of the porch.

"I was looking for you, are you alright, Harry?" Kitty asked him in her bell-like tone of a voice, Harry searching her eyes for a moment and the cigarette in his hand, wanting to tell her the truth but then not wanting to break her heart.

"I'm fine, just needing a breather," Harry replied back to her smoothly, hoping that would have worked in her favor, "You, on the other hand, need to get back inside before you freeze to death."

"Harry, I'm not leaving her until you tell me the truth," Kitty advised him now, seeing a serious look on her face made Harry already sigh and not that he was going to keep up this lie that he wanted to do.

"I know they don't like you," Harry's snapped over to hers within in instant on how she said in, almost bitterly now like it was a bad taste in her mouth. Harry was about to intervene and say that it wasn't true when she went on, "You have to understand. My parents are not the best when it comes to me bringing home a guy for them to like and approve of. They have high standards for me."

"And they should," Harry agreed, Kitty looking at him in confusion now, "I'm not that great of a guy for you to bring home, Kitty. I'll admit to that, at least we have that one thing in common."

"Don't say that, Harry!" Kitty confronted him then, clenching their free hands together in the bitter cold,"I don't want you to say that about yourself, ever. You hear me?"

"Come on, Kitty. I don't fit in with this whole house, not even the dinner was enough for me to feel welcome there for Christ's sake," Harry mumbled to her in almost a defeated manner, looking over through the glass doors and seeing her parents talking to each other in low tones and murmurs.

"You fit in with me just fine," Kitty reassured him once again and moved her hand to his jaw to have him look at her again, "I've learned a long time ago that my parents are not going to approve of whomever I marry, no matter how close they are to perfection. But to me, you are already perfect Harry, so I don't even see the point of being here anymore at this dinner."

"Really?" Harry asked in unbelief, "You think I'm perfect?" Kitty grinned at him again, already lighting the whole porch with her smile.

"I think you're one the best things that ever came into my life," She answered him.

"But, why? I'm not rich, or even close to having some kind of job that's good enough—" Harry tried to explain to her, already seeing the worst in this relationship than the best. But Kitty was cutting him off with a kiss, the two of them kissing together in the back porch of her home and the cold was no longer feeling cold, but warm like a summer day. Every kiss they shared Harry would lose his breath, and when she finally pulled away, he was already feeling drunk from her lips touching his.

"I never wanted to be with you because of your wealth, sweetheart," She said to him calmly now and a bit out of breath herself, "You made me beyond happy with how we talk together, walk together, and I don't want to find anyone else, but you."

Harry would still be in denial on how much she loved him and his whole being since compared to her Harry was a bit of a commoner. But he had to believe that she was going to try and be in this relationship with him as much as he wanted it.

"I think this will be the last time we will be having dinner with my parents," Kitty said in a smirk and Harry had to laugh. Kitty surprised him every day, from the highs of the day to the low, and now from how bold she was to just let her parents go from all of what they were trying to do to her.

"I think so too."

* * *

 **October, 1941**

"You enlisted?" Kitty asked Harry as they were sitting together at one of their favorite restaurants that night, just another night out for the both of them, but he had to bring up the fact that he was considering to go and enlist for the army. He knew it was needed, much needed since plenty of men were hearing the call and go into the army and serve their country.

Harry and Kitty were having a good thing going with one another and their relationship was getting more and more of a serious one than anything. They moved into a small apartment in town and Harry was holding a job at the district office and getting good money in. Of course, Kitty's parents were not in the most helpful with it since they were still disapproving of Harry being with their daughter. Kitty didn't mind it, she was still confident enough in their relationship and with the small apartment they had with the little things had had between them. Harry tried to give her best since she deserved it, but all Kitty wanted in return was his loved and commitment.

She got it tenfold.

"I did, I leave in a month or so," Harry replied from his side of the table, seeing Kitty folding her hands on top of the table now. Harry could tell she was about to cry and he had to find a way to explain to her what he was thinking about when he signed the papers.

"Kitty," He said in a calm manner, seeing him watch him with the restaurant glow around her and how she was still looking beautiful though she was on the verge of tears, "I think this is the best thing for me to do, for the both of us. A lot of the men are needed to help out in the upcoming war, and who am I not to go and help out in any way I can?"

"But what about us?" She asked suddenly, almost sounding like her voice was breaking and Harry wanted to reach over and clutch her hand in his as a comforting tool, "What about our future?"

"I still want that future, you know I do when I asked you out on our first date remember?" He asked her with a small smile on his lips, seeing her befall smile back at him, "This is not going to separate us forever."

"This isn't another job you're making, Harry," Kitty advised him, "You're talking about being in the middle of a war, to go fight a war and maybe get killed in it."

"Knowing me, they'll make me an executive office, nowhere near battle. You now how clumsy I am." Harry tried to joke with her, seeing her chuckle a bit but still hear the sadness there in that laugh. Harry then had to get up and walk over to her side of the table, kneeling down to see her eye level and lacing both of their fingers together now, seeing her peer down at him and he gave her a sincere look.

"Kitty, I know that it may seem selfish for me to do this to you, to the both of us. But with the money I'll be making, and if this war will be over within months, we'll be able to have the life we both wanted. I know it doesn't sound even close to far for you, both I am doing this for the both of us." Harry explained to her calmly and she felt him clutch her hands together tightly and with love there. He never wanted her to feel like this like he was abandoning her so he can go fight a war that could change the world as he knew it. He had to go out there and serve, to fight in the army, but he also knew that his own heart belonged to her from the moment he laid eyes on her that fourth of July three years ago.

"And since I'm down here on my knee talking to you about this, might as well do this so that I don't have to get up," Harry said again, releasing one her hands and then reaching into his jacket pocket to pull out the small box he had bought about three weeks ago, after hours and hours of looking for the best one to give her. He pulled it out and opened the top of the lid, Kitty already gasping and smiling widely once again and making the rest of the room look dim in comparison.

"Catherine Gorgan, as the love of my life, will you please marry me?" He asked her, thinking he was asking an eloquent siren who was from the heavens above to be his own. He was thinking she would say no, she should say no to him since he was not even close to being good enough for her.

But there she was, kissing him into oblivion there in the restaurant and the ring slipped onto her finger before he could think about it. She was going to be his, always and forever they were going to be together. It gave him another excuse for him to get back home to her, to get through every battle and every wound he would have to counter all for her.

All for his beloved Kitty.

* * *

 **February, 1942**

"I'll write to you as soon as I get settled," Harry promised her as they were walking over to his train that would take him to Fort Benning where he was going to start his training for the army. It was already bittersweet for them both, already celebrating Valentine's day a bit early so they could be together and that morning, they both just wanted to hold each other until it was time for him to get on the train and ride off to the army.

He never wanted to have her go through this, his fiance of all people in the world. She was already thinking about the wedding as they would pass the bridal store on their walks in the town, even looking at the cakes on display in the bakery. Kitty wanted to wait until he came home for them to be married, it wouldn't be right for them to rush into a wedding before he would leave for the war. She wanted it to be perfect, and yet Harry was seeing enough courage in her to believe that he was going to come back to her alive and they would start their life together.

"Take your time with your writing, you know how to have chicken scratch handwriting and sometimes it's hard to read," Kitty teased him, Harry chuckled and wrapping his arm around her shoulder to pull her close on their walk. She snuggled into him and Harry breathed her one last time with the train in sight now and others hopping into the train.

Harry and Kitty pulled each other close. He was not going to say that this was goodbye for the both of them, the excuse they both knew this was merely a see you later kind of hug, something he would have to remember from time to time when he missed her and longed for her.

"Stay safe for me, sweetheart. I wanna be able to marry you whole when you come back," Kitty insisted with him now as Harry kissed her head lovingly.

"We'll be married before you know it, Kitty. I'll fight to get back to you, I promise." Harry reassured her as they kissed one last time before he could hear the conductor calling a last call for the passengers. He didn't want to leave her there in that town by herself, thinking of when her fiancé will be back.

"I love you," Kitty whispered to him now as he was grabbing his suitcase and he grinned at her, cupping her face with his spare hand.

"I love you too, Kitty. I'll write you, okay?" She nodded her head and he kissed her one last time before moving away and over to the train. He was already counting it down in his head, the infamous countdown that he knew he was going to do in order to both push him to get back to her and to push him to just survive in general.

He sat down in his seat and sigh. Day One is in for the books.

* * *

 **May 20th, 1945**

Harry walked off the train now, thinking of how long ago it was since he's been there in that very town and heading into the army. But now it's different, he was no longer there and no longer tied to the military.

He was home.

With the bag in his hand and his eyes scanning the area, he was looking for Kitty whom he knew was going to be waiting for them there, but with the mass group of people running in and out of the area, it was downright impossible now to see her. He only had her face in his head, her voice in his ear and her letters in her jacket pocket. Did she get the parachute he sent her after Normandy? Did she even change enough where Harry can't recognize him anymore? What as she going to look like? He got nervous, standing there in his dress greens and the bag in hand and his eyes scanning the area.

"Harry!" He looked over his shoulder, finally seeing her and she was running over to him in a bolt now, a smile on her face and Harry felt her collide into his arms. By the time she wrapped her around him, his bag was dropped tot he floor and he was hugging her back. Finally, after three years of being away from one another and wondering when the war would be over and done with, they were back together again and reunited to live for the rest of their lives together. Harry no longer had to be afraid, he had his Kitty back and all was going to be well with them.

"I've missed you far too much, my love," Kitty said to Harry and Harry pulled her into a kiss. He's missed kissing her for three years, thinking of her and talking about her to the other men in Easy. Once they pulled away from each other and walked side by side, interlocked hands in the middle, Kitty rested her head on his shoulder as they were making their way to the car parked out in the front.

"By the way, I already took in the parachute you sent me to the seamstress," Kitty murmured to him, Harry grinning from ear to ear now as she kept talking about it, "My dress will be stunning thanks to you."

"And you're gonna have been ready for a couple more people to come to our wedding," Harry explained, seeing her poke her head up from the shoulder and looked at him quizzingly.

"How many more?" She asked in curiosity.

"Well, practically my whole company since they wanna meet you."


End file.
